Jacob Cookey1,2, Jacob McGavin3, Candice E Crocker1,2,4, Kara Matheson5, Sherry H Stewart1,6, Philip G Tibbo1,2. 1. Department of Psychiatry, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 2. Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program, Nova Scotia Health Authority (Central Zone), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 3. Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 4. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 5. Research Methods Unit, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 6. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Alcohol and cannabis misuse are common in patients with early phase psychosis (EPP); however, research has tended to focus primarily on cannabis misuse and EPP outcomes, with a relative lack of data on alcohol misuse. This retrospective cross-sectional EPP study investigated the relationship between cannabis, alcohol, and cannabis combined with alcohol misuse, on age, gender, psychotic, depressive and anxiety symptom severity, and social/occupational functioning, at entry to service. METHODS: Two-hundred and sixty-four EPP patients were divided into 4 groups based on substance use measured by the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test: (1) no to low-level cannabis and alcohol misuse (LU), (2) moderate to high alcohol misuse only (AU), (3) moderate to high cannabis misuse only (CU), and (4) moderate to high alcohol and cannabis misuse (AU + CU). RESULTS: We found significant between group differences in age (with the AU group being the oldest and AU + CU group the youngest) as well as gender (with the CU group having the highest percentage of men). There were also group differences in positive psychotic symptoms (lowest in AU group), trait anxiety (highest in AU + CU group), and social/occupational functioning (highest in AU group). Further regression analyses revealed a particularly strong relationship between AU + CU group and trait anxiety (3-fold increased odds of clinical trait anxiety for combined misuse of alcohol and cannabis compared to non/low users). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the unique demographic and clinical characteristics found in the EPP population at entry to care associated with alcohol and cannabis misuse both separately and in combination. This work highlights the importance of including the assessment of alcohol misuse in addition to cannabis misuse in future treatment guidelines and research.
OBJECTIVE:Alcohol and cannabis misuse are common in patients with early phase psychosis (EPP); however, research has tended to focus primarily on cannabis misuse and EPP outcomes, with a relative lack of data on alcohol misuse. This retrospective cross-sectional EPP study investigated the relationship between cannabis, alcohol, and cannabis combined with alcohol misuse, on age, gender, psychotic, depressive and anxiety symptom severity, and social/occupational functioning, at entry to service. METHODS: Two-hundred and sixty-four EPP patients were divided into 4 groups based on substance use measured by the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test: (1) no to low-level cannabis and alcohol misuse (LU), (2) moderate to high alcohol misuse only (AU), (3) moderate to high cannabis misuse only (CU), and (4) moderate to high alcohol and cannabis misuse (AU + CU). RESULTS: We found significant between group differences in age (with the AU group being the oldest and AU + CU group the youngest) as well as gender (with the CU group having the highest percentage of men). There were also group differences in positive psychotic symptoms (lowest in AU group), trait anxiety (highest in AU + CU group), and social/occupational functioning (highest in AU group). Further regression analyses revealed a particularly strong relationship between AU + CU group and trait anxiety (3-fold increased odds of clinical trait anxiety for combined misuse of alcohol and cannabis compared to non/low users). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the unique demographic and clinical characteristics found in the EPP population at entry to care associated with alcohol and cannabis misuse both separately and in combination. This work highlights the importance of including the assessment of alcohol misuse in addition to cannabis misuse in future treatment guidelines and research.
Entities:
Keywords:
alcohol; cannabis; clinical measures; early psychosis; social and occupational functioning; substance use disorder
Authors: Eric Roche; Mary Clarke; Stephen Browne; Niall Turner; Orflaith McTuige; Moaayad Kamali; Anthony Kinsellla; Conall Larkin; John L Waddington; Eadbhard O'Callaghan Journal: Ir J Psychol Med Date: 2010-03
Authors: Leanne Hides; Sue M Cotton; Gregor Berger; John Gleeson; Colin O'Donnell; Tina Proffitt; Patrick D McGorry; Dan I Lubman Journal: Addict Behav Date: 2009-03-06 Impact factor: 3.913
Authors: Elisabeth Heffermehl Lange; Ragnar Nesvåg; Petter Andreas Ringen; Cecilie Bhandari Hartberg; Unn Kristin Haukvik; Ole Andreas Andreassen; Ingrid Melle; Ingrid Agartz Journal: Compr Psychiatry Date: 2013-10-19 Impact factor: 3.735
Authors: Rachel Humeniuk; Robert Ali; Thomas F Babor; Michael Farrell; Maria L Formigoni; Jaroon Jittiwutikarn; Roseli B de Lacerda; Walter Ling; John Marsden; Maristela Monteiro; Sekai Nhiwatiwa; Hemraj Pal; Vladimir Poznyak; Sara Simon Journal: Addiction Date: 2008-03-28 Impact factor: 6.526
Authors: Philippe Hwang; Lily Hechtman; Andrea Carboni-Jiménez; Ilya Demchenko; Alexandra Maduro; Noor Mady; Fama Tounkara; Ram P Sapkota; Alain Brunet Journal: Can J Psychiatry Date: 2020-08-07 Impact factor: 4.356
Authors: Suzanne Archie; Lena Palaniyappan; Andrew T Olagunju; Natasha Johnson; Nicole Kozloff; Elham Sadeh; Andrea Bardell; Alexandra Baines; Kelly K Anderson; Oyedeji Ayonrinde; Manuela Ferrari Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Date: 2022-05-20